I'm glad to see this thread. I just made a similar blue goat cheese with many of the same "issues" on Monday. It's good to see there is still hope. I used different cultures than you did, Kathrin. Are you still using all ND milk? I do like the jelly doughnut shape you got, it's cute. Mine is "sitting up straight" despite having used a lower cook temp.

I too only dry salted and did not salt the curd before placing in the mold. I'll pull it out of the box and brine it tonight. And to think I was considering brining, I wish I had bothered. I hope it's not too late at three days. I didn't press it though, so I'm thinking I won't pierce before brining as the curd was firm and left a nice gappy wheel. I just cleared a cooler of Monday's beer so I should probably set it upa as a warmer cave for his bleu.

I too only dry salted and did not salt the curd before placing in the mold. I'll pull it out of the box and brine it tonight.

My comments and suggestions were specifically for Tiarella's make because she pressed the cheese and did not allow for much oxygenation in the interior. Dry salting the outside can be a very valid technique and an effective way to produce blues with a cleaner looking rind. But then it's important to have blue actually develop more inside. Switching techniques mid-stream is not generally the best practice. Pick a recipe and stick to the game plan.

I too only dry salted and did not salt the curd before placing in the mold. I'll pull it out of the box and brine it tonight.

Dry salting the outside can be a very valid technique and an effective way to produce blues with a cleaner looking rind. But then it's important to have blue actually develop more inside. Switching techniques mid-stream is not generally the best practice. Pick a recipe and stick to the game plan.

Whew! Thanks for your response Sailor. I'll stay the course and only move the cheese to a slightly warmer cave set-up. I salted pretty generously. I'll keep a close eye and decide on piercing once a healthy blue rind develops. (crosses fingers).

I was aiming at something like a Valdeon, but I'll be happy with any edible result.

My Renegade Blue is rather green and looking good. I may call it "Tumescent Green Tomme Blue". Sounds like a pop song or something. It's in a cooler with a frozen half gallon container. We'll see how it does. Not sure if I need to re-pierce it but I'll watch. Want to make another one soon but I have too many ideas for cheese makes.

One interesting thing....I noticed that the blue wasn't covering the mid-line area and then realized that the uncovered area was what hadn't sunk below the brine level. Although I flipped it, this cheese floated so high in the brine that that one strip didn't submerge.

Like Galloway cattle? Or Dutch Belted cattle, pigs, rabbits, etc? It could be a Belted Blue if it stayed that way. I did smear the blue around....but it's an interesting illustration of how important the salt is for making the blue feel welcome.

One interesting thing....I noticed that the blue wasn't covering the mid-line area and then realized that the uncovered area was what hadn't sunk below the brine level. Although I flipped it, this cheese floated so high in the brine that that one strip didn't submerge.

But both sides eventually did get brined, right? That doesn't make sense that the blue would feel less inclined to populate one side. Curious.

One interesting thing....I noticed that the blue wasn't covering the mid-line area and then realized that the uncovered area was what hadn't sunk below the brine level. Although I flipped it, this cheese floated so high in the brine that that one strip didn't submerge.

But both sides eventually did get brined, right? That doesn't make sense that the blue would feel less inclined to populate one side. Curious.

-Boofer-

Just a middle band didn't get brined because it floated high in the brine each side. Only a third (approx) was submerged on each side. Does that paint the picture better?

Okay, need some suggestions again on this one. Remember, it's a sort of tomme blue with little if any internal air spaces and it got pierced pretty immediately. It's been in a mini-cave box in a cooler with ice packs and some fluctuation of temps because of my forgetfulness. It has a heavy blue on it, some white spots (PC I presume?) and even some yellowing as the photo shows. What next? Pierce again?

Hi Kathrin,I would say: pierce again and clean the rind with a brine solution. I had a similar type of rind with my first (and so far only) attempt on Fourme d' Ambert. When the texture inside is pretty dense, you have to pierce to get the PR active at the inside. It became something totally different from what I intended, but it was a nice cheese to eat...

Hi Kathrin,I would say: pierce again and clean the rind with a brine solution. I had a similar type of rind with my first (and so far only) attempt on Fourme d' Ambert. When the texture inside is pretty dense, you have to pierce to get the PR active at the inside. It became something totally different from what I intended, but it was a nice cheese to eat...

Hi Herman! Nice to "see" you! . Thanks for your suggestion. Can you tell me why cleaning the rind is a good idea? For some reason I thought the rind should just stay blue and weird. Or maybe leaving the rind only works on softer blue cheeses?